Chauncey Billups: I'm coming to play,' not just mentor, for Detroit Pistons

AUBURN HILLS - Chauncey Billups returning to the Detroit Pistons, an organization he accomplished so much for and won a championship with, is a feel good story.

But Billups and Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars want everyone to know, Billups didn’t just come back for sentimental reasons, he’s back to play too.

“One thing I would like to say is that although this is a great feel good moment to bring Chauncey back, he and I discussed the fact that this is not just about feel good,” Dumars said. “This is about his ability to impact the game for us on the court, his ability to lead on and off the court and to be a guy that can help propel us to the next level.”

“I’m not really good with losing and mediocrity so ... I’m not just coming here to mentor and coach, I’m coming to play and I’m coming to try to win,” Billups said.

The 36-year-old Billups had opportunities to sign with teams in better position to make a run at a championship now and comes over from a Clippers team with high aspirations, but retiring a Piston and bringing respectability back to the Pistons organization was important to Billups.

“I’ve said it time and time again, I always wanted to be remembered as a Piston and I want to be a Piston for life so what better opportunity than to come back and finish my career here in Detroit,” Billups said. “I want to have the same opportunity that a lot of the Piston greats like Isiah (Thomas), even Joe and Ben (Wallace), and those guys had and that’s to retire a Piston. That’s something that’s very significant to me. Yeah, there were some other offers out there, but this meant something to me.

“I just feel like if I can come back here and try to help lead some of these young guys, lead the team back to respectability, I think that’s a big, big deal,” Billups added. “This city and this organization is huge and rich in basketball tradition. Even with me being away on the other teams that I’ve been on the last few years, I hate to see The Palace the way it looks during the game, with nobody watching the games. But I also know this city loves a winner.

“We got diehard Piston fans here. When you put out the effort and the pride that I want to try to instill back in this team, the Piston pride that we played with, I feel like people will come out and watch. I just want to be part of something really special. I think this opportunity is going to give me the opportunity to do that.”

During his tenure in Los Angeles, Billups played off the ball some with Chris Paul as the team’s starting point guard.

With Detroit, Billups intends to return to his role as a point guard.

“I know you’ve been watching the last two years, but I’ve never been a two-guard,” Billups said. “I just played there because I’m the type of player that if you put me out there I’ll make it happen. Can I play some minutes out there off the ball? Of course. But I’m a lead guard, point guard.

“I think right now my skill-set hasn’t change at all,” Billups added. “I’m back healthy, I’m feeling good, but even then I couldn’t run fast or jump high. So my skill-set is the same. I’m going to outsmart you, most of the nights. I’m going to lead with the best in the league. I’m going to knock down shots. I’m going to be vocal, I’m going to be the same player I was then, even though I’m not the same age, I’m the same player.”

Dumars agreed with Billups and envisions Billups running the point for Detroit.

“We brought him back to be a point guard, to be a lead guard,” Dumars said. “We think that’s always what he’s done best and that’s what we’re comfortable with. He and I talked about that specifically as well. He’s coming back to be a point guard. You’re not gonna see him slide to the two and be the starting two guard for us. We want the ball in Chauncey’s hands. With all these young guys I think it’s important to have a player like Chauncey to have the ball in his hands, making the right decisions, having a smart player like that. So we definitely brought him to be a point guard.”

Billups first signed with the Pistons in 2002, leading them to six straight Eastern Conference finals, two NBA finals appearances and an NBA championship in 2004.

Just two games into the 2008-09 season Billups was traded by Dumars to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.

Although Billups was going back to his hometown of Denver, the trade left a sour taste in his mouth, but it’s something he and Dumars have worked out over the years.

Billups hopes to work in a team’s front office one day so he understands the business decision Dumars had to make.

“Trust me, that wasn’t the only hurt I felt in the league. I’ve been with (four) teams in the league before I even got here,” Billups said. “But I will say that Joe is the closest person that I had gotten to within an organization during my time here. It wasn’t the fact that he traded me, it was just kind of how it went down at the time. And me being older and me being a little smarter about how this league goes, I know there were certain things that he couldn’t tell me until it was done.”

Piston fans who have hung on to their old Billups jerseys will be glad to know Billups will wear the No. 1 again.

Pistons rookie Andre Drummond wore No. 1 last season, but offered it back to Billups. After working it out with the league office, Billups will wear No. 1 and Drummond will wear No. 0 next season

“It was a little bit of a process,” Billups said. “I remember as soon as I said I was going to come back here, young Drummond had tweeted, I’m not on Twitter, I’m a little too old for Twitter, but it was in all the publications and things like that, that he had tweeted he would give me the number back. He was just happy I was coming back.

“In my opinion, I feel like he should have another number anyway because he’s going to be a great player and one day have his number retired so he should create his own legacy. But maybe I’m biased cause it’s No. 1. He was easy. He just stepped back and said whatever you want. I’m grateful to have a young player like that.”

Dave Pemberton covers the Pistons for Digital First Media. Email him at dave.pemberton@oakpress.com and follow him on Twitter @drpemberton.